Temper screw



" Sept. 6,1927.

G. A. MONTGOMERY TEMPER SCREW Filed April 11, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 F134 42 fa 1,641,189 Sept' 6 1927 G. A. MONTGOMERY TEMPER SCREW Filed April 11., 1924 2 sheet-'sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, 19127.Y

l UNITEDF'STATE 1,541,189 .PATl-:Nrorrica eUs'rAv-us a. MoivTeoia'ERY, or TrTUsVILLE,rENNsYLvaNA, Assierroa kro Tiras'- n vmaroaeapoivrraivv, or TI'rUsVILLE, PENNsYLvANIA, A coaroaarroiv or MARYLAND.

This inventionrelates to improvements in the temper screws employed inr connection with well drilling apparatus.

kOne of its objects -is to provide a nonrotatable temper screw with novel means for effecting the raising and-'lowering thereof. f

Another object ofthe invention is to provide the' screw-operating7mechanism with simple andy reliable Vmeansv for adjusting it relative to-y the screw. v

Afurther object is the provisionof efficient means for automaticallyreturning the screwy to its elevated position when the screw-operating mechanism vis disengaged therefrom., f

In the accompanyingdrawings:

Figure l is a sectional vfront view of the improved temper screw.` Figure 2-is a sectionalside view thereof. Figure 3 is a hori-Y zontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 11. Figures 4 and are enlarged ,horizontal sections on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2. Figure. 6 is as'ecti'onalfclevation of the nut-slide carrying sleeve. vFigurev 7 f is a similar view taken at right anglesthereto. Figure 8 is a side view-ofV one of 'the nutslides. Figure 9` isy any inside face view thereof. Figure l() is afragmentary sectional front viewofa modified form of the invention. Figure ll is a horizontal section on line 1l-ll,.Fig. 10. y i y Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsv throughout the several views. v y The ,casing which supports the working d parts of the temper screw is preferably in the form of a tubelprovided in itsA dia1netrically opposite sides withplongitudinal slots or guideways 16y terminating short of either end thereof. Secured to the upper end of this tube is a hanger in the form of a T-head 17 which is attached to thev usual walking beam, not shown, of the drilling apparatus. 18 indicates the temper screw proper which y extends through'thetube'and is provided at its upper end with a square neck or shank 19 to which an elevator cross bar 20 is securely fastened, the' latter extending through the slots, ofthe tube. Thisl elevator'cross bar functions toV guide theA screw lengthwise of the tube and also preventsits rotation during the step-by-step movement 4of the screw as the drilling operations are performed. The screw is suspended from the elevator bar by cables 21 connectedat their lower TEMPER SCREW.

` 'Application mea April 11, 19,24. seriai No. 705,905.

ends to the opposite ends of said bar, while their-*upper ends pass around and are suitably secured to guidevpulleys 22 journaled on the opposite ends of the T-head 17.` Attached to the lower end of the screw is a cross-head'23 from the ends of which the customary cable-clamps, not shown, are suspended.

'The preferred means for accomplishing .the stepby-step movement of the screw to gradually lengthen the :stroke of the drilling tools as the drilling operation proceeds, so that the bit will strike the bottom of the well on each down stroke, is. shown in Figs. l-9,rinclusive, andconstructed asy follows: Y

At its lower end the supporting; tube l5 is provided with a tapered external thread 2lwith which a sleeve 25 is connected, the latter terminating at its lower end inv an annular external flange 26, while its upper end is provided at a suitable,distanceabove said flangeV with an external screw-threaded portion 27. The flange 26 of this'sleeve forms a support for a thrustk bearing 2S Vupon which a Vpendant rotatablehead 29 is swiv eled.` The upper end of this rotatable head is, provided 4with an upwardly-opening threaded socket 30 for receiving a cap Lor collar 31 having an annular internal flange 32 at itsvrupper end which engages the upper side of thethrust bearing, as shown in Figs. land 2. By thus suspending the, rotatable head, it is free to turn vor swivel on the tubesleevey 25 but V.is held against longitudinal. movement relative thereto; and to the screw.

Said head is provided below its socket with `a counter bore 33 which passes freely over Vthe temper ,screw proper.r Below its socket,

this head has a transverse bore tfextending fromside to side thereof in which is mounted a pair of opposing `slides yguided for movement toward and from the 'temper screw. lAs 'shown in Figs. l, 8 and 9, these slides areof circular cross section and their inner faces are flat. Detachably secured to theinner faces of these slides, by bolts 36 or other appropriate fastenings, are substantially semi-cylindrical liners 37 threaded Vron their inner sides to .engage the screw, these liners vconstituting' asplit nut which practically embraces the temper screw when the slides arey inv their loperative contracted position.

'To prevent vertical displacement of the liners relative to their Vslides, vthe same are provided on theirI outer sides and near their upper and lower ends with flanges it which engage senilrcircular grooves 111 the opposing tlat faces of the slides. .lhe rotatable head 2S) may be provided near its lower end with radially-projecting handles lo for facilitating the turning thereof during thi act of raising and lowering the screw.

By this construction and arrangement of the screw-operating mechanism, the screw itl is held against turning when the head 2li is rotated in one direction or the other to effect a corresponding raising or lowering of the screw, thereby preventing twisting` or untwisting of the tool-suspending cable and eliminating the use of the swivels such as are necessarily employed at the present time at the upper and lower end of the screw.

Means are provided for readily effecting the movement of the liner slides 35 to dis engage them from the screw when it is desired to elevate the latter to its normal position, shown in Figs. l and 2. For this purpose, the outer ends of the slides are provided with tapered bearing surfaces del, which project beyond the slidearrying head QS and with which the lower end of an adjustable bell-cap l2, having a correspondingly-beveled inner surface TLS. is adapted to engage. This bell cap is rotatable relatively to the slide-carrying head and `is provided in itsY top with a threaded opening List which engages the eXternally-threaded portion 2T of the tlangedsleeve 25 secured to the lower end of the supporting tube. Coil springs to mounted in opposing recesses Li6 in these slides tend constantly to urge them outwardly out of engagement with the screw and to bring their beveled surfaces into contact with the corresponding surfaces of the bell cap, the latter limiting the lateral movement of these slides and also preventing their displacement. At its upper end. the bell cap provided with radial handles a7 for turning it. Then this cap is turned in the direction to raise it, the slides automatically expand and are disengaged from the screw, permitting the latter to be lifted to its normal elevated position. Then the cap is turned in the reverse direction to lower it, the slides are gradually moved ii'iwardly and their threadeddiners 37 are brought into engagement with the screw. ln turning the slide-carrying head relative to the bellicap, and vice versa, one of such relatively movable members is held with one hand while the other is turned with the other hand. By screwing down tightly on the bell cap, the temper screw and its actuating head may be positively held in a set position and locked against accidental movement.

Means are provided for automatically returning` the temper screw to its normal elevated position when the saine has been partially or fully lowered relative to the screw operating mechanism. In the preferred embodiment of this feature of the invention shown in Figs. l and 2, the horizontal portion a8 of the T-head 1T is provided with a horizontal bore ell) through which a tiebolt t) extends, the nuts l of this bolt preventingI displacement of the guide-pulleys Surrounding this bolt and. confined in the bore of this T-head are tortional springs 52 which act as a counterbalance for the sere f and which tend constantly to turn the guide pulleys in the proper direction to elevate the screw, each spring being connected at one end to its companion pulley and at its other end to a central parti tion extending into the bore, or to any other fixed part of the T-head. To pro` long the life of this T-head, its bore is arranged eccentric to the axis thereof, soas to provide a thickened lower wall 54 which engages the customary bearing openings in the walking beam.

Briefly stated, the operation of this apparatus is as follows:

In the position of the parts shown in the drawings, the screw 1T is in its elevated position and the slides are in their contracted position with the threaded-liners 37 in operative engagement with the screw. To lower the screw for the purpose of gratinally increasing the stroke of the drilling tools as the drilling operation proceeds, the slide-carrying head 29 is turned in the proper direction relatively to the bell-cap 4Q in the manner heretofore described. This operation results in the screw being moved longitudinally of its guide tube l5 without turning. When the screw reaches the end of' its lowest position, the bell-cap is turned in the proper direction relatively to the rotatable head to allow the slides to be released frein engagement with the temper screw, after which the latter is automatically lifted to its initial position by the spring suspension mechanism, including the springs 5l, pulleys 2;", cables 2l, and ele 'ator-bar 20. lVhile in this position, the liner-slides are again brought into engagement with the screw and the drilling operations are repeated.

Figs. 10 and il show a modified construction for adjusting the liner-slides into and out of engagement with the screw. In this case, the belteap 4t2 dispensed with and the slides are free from tapered extensions. l'i' tead, parallel, horizontal rods 5G are provided which are connected at their inner ends to one of the slides and freely pass through alining openings 57 in the companion slide. Connecting the free ends of these rods is a yoke 58 carrying between its ends an adjusting screw 59 disposed parallel with said rods and normally abutting at its inner end against the outer face of the slide containing the rod-receiving openings. The

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lli() justingL screw 59 in onedirection, the linersections are contracted and brought into engagement with the temper-screw 18, and

` when turned in the reverse direction, the VcoilY springs 6l act to separate the slides vto dis-V engage them fromy the "temper screw.

This improved temper screw iscomparai tively simple in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and its parts can be readily replaced when worn.

I claim as my invention:

l.y In a device of the character described, a temper screw, a casing in which said screw is guided for movement lengthwise thereof,

two relatively rotatable members arranged at the lower end of said casing, one of said members being held againstV movement axially of the screw and the yother being free to move axially thereof, andl an internallythreaded element carried by saidfirst-named rotatable member for movement into and out of engagement with said screw, said secondnamed rotatable member being arranged to control the movements of said screw-threaded element,

2. In a device of the character described, a temper screw, a casing in which said screw is guided for. movement lengthwise thereof, means for holding said screw against rotation, a rotatable liead swiveled on said casing, a slide movable Vlaterally of said head and having a threaded-linei arranged to engage said screw, Vand a second rotatable head mounted on said casing and adjustable lengthwise thereof, a portion of said second head extending over the first-named head and engageable with said slide for control-.

ling its movement into and out of engagement with said screw. Y v

3. In a device of the characterdescribed, a temper screw, a casing in which said screw is guided for movement lengthwise thereof, means for holding said screw against rotation, a rotatable head swiveled on said casing, an internally-threaded member slidably mounted in said head and movable laterally into and out of engagement with said screw, the outer end of rsaid'member normally projecting beyond said rotatable head, means tending constantly to move` said member in a direction away from the screw, and rotatable means adjustable lengthwise of said casing and arranged `to engage the outer end of sa'id threaded member formoving it in a direction toward said screw.

4. In a device of the character` described,

' a temper'screw, a casing in which said screw is guided `for movement lengthwise thereof, means forholding saidscrew'against rotation, a rotatable -head-l swiveled on said casing and containing a transversebore, slides movablyQa-rranged in said boreon opposite sides of saidscrewiforf operative engagement g therewith, -yieldable means arranged' between-l the opposing sidesof said slides for normally moving them,in a direction away from thescrew, and adjustable means applied to the casing and extending over said rotatable' head to turnrelatively thoreto,; said. means being adjustable lengthwise of the casing for moving said slides in a direction toward said screw.

5. In a device of the character described, a temper lscrew,`a casing in which said screw is guided for movement lengthwise thereof, means fonv holding saidV screw against rotation, a rotatable head swiveled yon the lower end of said casing,the latter having an externally-threaded portion above said head, a screw-engaging member guided for lateral movementon said head for engagement with said screw, the outer end ofv said member extending beyond said head, and an adjustable cap traveling on the threaded portion of said casing and arranged over said head for engaging the extended end of said threaded member.

6. In a device of the character described, a temper screw, a casing in which said screw is guided for movement lengthwise thereof, means for holding said screw against rotation, said casing having a bearing flange at its lower end, a head suspended from said flangel exterior of the casing and rotatable thereon but heldiagainst movement axially of the screw, and screw-engaging means slidably Vmounted in said head and movable into and out of engagement with said screw, and an adjustable cap mounted on the lower end of said casing above its flange and arranged over said head for engagement with the screw-engaging means for controlling the movements thereof 7 In a device of the character described, a temper screw, a casing in which said screw is guided forfmovement lengthwise thereof, ineansfor holding said screw against rotation, a rotatable head suspended from the lower end of said casing, the opposing ends of the latter and said head having oppositely extending flanged portions separated by a ball bearing, screw-engaging means carried by said head and movable into and out of engagementrwith said screw, and rotatable means extending over said head and varranged for engagement with said screw-eny gaging means for controlling the movements thereof. f

8. In a device ofthe character described,

a temperrscrew, a casing for said screw havling longitudinal slots in its opposite sides,

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upper' end of said casing, means carried by the casing and engaging said screw for actuating it at will, pulleys arranged on the opposite ends ol said T-liead, cables connectinnI the pulleys with said elevator bar, and means contained in said T-head and connect ed willi said pulleys for yieldingly resisting their rotation in one direction.

9. ln a device of the character described, a temper screw, a casing in which Said screw is guided for movementlengthwise thereof,

said casing having a supporting member at its upper end provided with a transverse bore, means carried by said casing and releasably engaging said screw for actuating it at will, a puller journaled on said supporting member, and a torsional spring ar ranged in said bore and connected to said pulley for moving the saine in a direction to elevare said screw.

GUSTAVUS A. MONTGOMERY. 

